Reasons
by leesky
Summary: Cloud decides he needs a reason. He needs to know why. Reno x Cloud shameless fluff, nothing explicit. Also Vincentx?


**Lee: Hi squirts. Hmm. Maybe that's not the best way to get you to read my story and review, eh? Hehe!**

**Disclaimer: Complete fiction, my friends. Oh, how I wish the world could be a better place.**

On the way home from work, Cloud decided he _did_ need a reason. If not to satisfy everyone else's curiosity, to settle the belly squirms he seemed to be suffering from. He told Reno.

'A reason?' The Turk frowned. 'You want me to change?'

'No, no … I didn't mean it that way. I meant that … I actually need to find one,'

'You don't … have one?' Reno stood up from his nest of cushions roosted in front of the television, confusion crossing his face.

Cloud reached up and kissed the redhead, 'Not yet. But I will find one. I just … it's …'

'Can't you just _not _have a reason for being with me … ?'

'That's not possible. How can you be with someone without knowing why?' Cloud kissed the redhead again, held the thin frame tightly against his own, shorter one. 'I don't understand … myself. Us. So I'm going to find everything out. Have some reasons.'

The Turk sighed. 'Will it take you long?'

'No,'

'No? To find something good about me?'

'That's very funny.' Cloud ran his fingers through the river of red hair, nibbled at the pouting lower lip. 'You stopped killing me years ago, remember?'

Reno grinned, running his fingertips through the light strands of hair. Light in every sense of the word: blonde and feather-like. 'So how are you going to find these reasons?'

'I'm going to go and question people,'

'Really.' Reno had itched to touch his lover since the mercenary had left for work, and now that said person was off to visit other people? 'Why don't you just stay here and think about it? I'm pretty sure I could give you some reasons … ' Reno nuzzled his lover's neck, kissed it and nibbled.

'No. I need inspiration,'

One last lingering kiss from Cloud, then he released his Turk and Reno did the same reluctantly.

* * *

Tifa was scrubbing. Seventh Heaven was sparkling clean, but closed and empty for now. The martial artist's biceps forced the cloth against the sink considerably harder when Cloud coughed his presence.

'Tifa, why am I with Reno?'

Tifa's eyes widened, and she turned around. 'What do you mean?'

'I need a reason,'

'A reason?'

'I'd like a reason for being with Reno,'

'Cloud, you just … confuse me,' The brunette placed the cloth back into the basin then sank into a nearby chair.

'I know, I … I'm sorry,' Cloud remained standing awkwardly, watching his feet.

'Are you?'

' … For most things,'

'Not for being with Reno?'

Cloud looked up into the eyes of his childhood friend. Did he know her anymore? Did he … care?

' … No … '

'There's your reason then,' Tifa pursed her lips like she would say something else and Cloud saw a flash in her eyes that looked like pain, but she turned away. Stood up straight, tensed her arm muscles. Strength.

'Tifa, I …'

'Cloud, look.' Tifa motioned to the spotless room they stood in. 'What do you see?'

The man blinked.

'I see a home. A loved one. Maybe … obviously, this isn't what you want,' Tifa's eyes sank to the floor. 'We could have - but, it doesn't matter anymore, because … you don't see a home, here. Once upon a time, perhaps you did.'

'Tifa?'

'I … '

The blonde shifted his arms restlessly.

'Go find your home, Cloud. The … place … you love,'

The sun was shining as Cloud climbed back upon Fenrir and sped off. It shone through the shop's windows where Tifa stood, but the light in Tifa's eyes had been put out long ago.

* * *

'Vincent, I was hoping you could help me,' Cloud tried to peer around the door that Vincent was keeping as closed as possible, but it was no use. It was dark inside and there was only a flicker of light that seemed to be from a small flame. A candle. Maybe a lighter.

'In what way can I help you?' There was a muffled sound from behind Vincent and he quickly stepped outside with Cloud and closed the door fully. The sun glistened on the sweat on Vincent's brow, reflected off the pale skin of his arms.

'I was hoping you could think of a reason why I'm with Reno,' Cloud stepped back and gave Vincent more room on his own front step.

'I … don't think a follow,'

'A reason. For being with Reno,'

There was a thump from inside. Then some clinking of bottles and a shout from someone. Cloud didn't seem to notice, having just noticed Vincent's perspiration and a spear resting against the wall beside him. Vincent quickly picked it up and held it behind his back.

'Have you been exercising, Vincent?' Cloud asked, choosing to ignore Vincent's actions.

' … Yes,'

'Oh.'

'Yes, I bought a treadmill … not so long ago … '

'Oh.'

'Yes.'

'Maybe I could have a go with it one day,'

Vincent coughed, stepped slightly further away from Cloud. ' … Yes,'

'So … '

'Yes?'

' … A reason?'

'Perhaps, Cloud, you … find him attractive?'

Cloud seemed to mull over this thought, before giving a satisfied nod. Straddling Fenrir again, he turned the corner before Vincent returned back inside. To exercise.

* * *

'And to what do I owe the pleasure, Cloud?'

Cloud had been studying Rufus' new office; it was modern and cream, just like the building it was within. Rufus had united Shin-Ra with the WRO after the Deepground incident, holding up his word of changing and turning over a new leaf. It still didn't make Cloud feel anymore comfortable being inside a Shin-Ra building. 'I'm here to ask you … I'd like a reason for being with Reno,'

'A reason?'

'Yes,'

'Well, I … I suppose I could try to help. This is a very peculiar request, Cloud. Can't you think of one for yourself?' Rufus poured himself a glass of water, adjusting the mat for his glass on the desk.

'I did.'

'Really. And? Would you like some water?'

'No, thanks. And … I'm with him because … I prefer him over my friends and I find him attractive,'

'Those aren't reason enough?'

'I'd like some more,'

'Well, I'm not the best person to ask seen as I am Reno's employer,' Rufus explained, pushing a blonde strand out of his eye. 'I notice the bad aspects about him significantly more than the good aspects,'

'But you know him very well,'

'Yes. Would you like to know more about him, Cloud?'

'Yes,'

'Then that is a reason for being with him,'

'Yes, to … know more things about him. To understand him,'

'And good luck with that.'

* * *

Rude looked up from his newspaper and was mildly surprised to see Cloud Strife entering his office. Mildly surprised meaning one dark eyebrow raised slightly. Maybe a millimetre higher.

The blonde sat down across from the larger male, saying nothing until he was comfortable.

'Rude, can you help me?'

The eyebrow rose higher, signalling for Cloud to continue.

'I am looking for a reason for why I'm with Reno,'

Rude folded his newspaper neatly and placed it inside his desk's drawer, but said nothing.

'And … I thought … you being his friend, you could give me some good points about him,'

Rude straightened his suit tie. 'No.'

'N-no?'

Rude shook his head. 'Not that I wouldn't want to, Cloud.'

'You mean you can't think of any? Not even one?'

'Why can't you?'

* * *

The house was quiet when Cloud arrived back home. He couldn't hear the television and the birds outside had finally gone to sleep once the sun had set. Once the mercenary had entered the bedroom, however, he could hear his lover's slow, even breathing. Peacefully asleep.

But, now was the time.

Cloud slid out of his clothes then under the sheets at the bottom of the bed. He travelled up, on his hands and knees, until he came in contact with his lover's legs. Climbing up the thin body, Cloud stopped once he was straddling Reno's skinny hips. He licked his lips before pressing them against the other male's, who was asleep on his back, arms above his head, loose hair draped over the pillows. By the time Cloud started nibbling at his lips, Reno was awake and in the process of wrapping his arms around the blonde's torso. They kissed slowly, languidly but lovingly, all the time sighing through contentedness. Cloud shifted his knees further up at the sides of Reno's body, while the redhead dug his nails into Cloud's lower back. After some time, they broke apart to look at each other.

'So … you find your reasons, yo?'

Cloud smiled beautifully, 'Yes,'

'Take you long?'

'No,'

'Well? You gonna tell me, or what?'

'I … I enjoy spending time with you more than I do with my friends. I am attracted to you - '

'Who wouldn't be, yo?' Reno grinned smugly.

'Also, I want to discover more about you, and … well, I love you,'

* * *

Cloud rubbed his head. Yes, there was definitely a lump.

'I'm so sorry, yo … I really - '

'Reno, it's alright,'

'It's not that I didn't like what you said, I was just … surprised,'

'So surprised you decided to head butt me?'

'You know it was an accident,' Reno moved away from the freezer and replaced Cloud's now water-bag with some ice. 'Besides, no one's ever said that shit to me before,'

'No wonder. If this is what their answer would be,'

'You … you want an answer?'

'No. I didn't … I didn't mean to upset what we have, Reno. I … ' Cloud stood up and wrapped his arms around his lover, causing the ice bag to slip down between their chests. Reno retrieved it and pressed it against Cloud's forehead. 'I just … I thought it was the right thing to say,'

'Why, yo?'

'Because … because it's what I feel,'

The pair gazed at each other for a while, Cloud's forehead throbbing, Reno's mind throbbing. 'Reno, I'm not looking for you to say it back, I didn't mean to change anything between us … I don't … I don't know what I'm saying anymore,'

Reno smiled softly, a smile that lit up his eyes and then his whole face. He removed the ice, dropped it on the floor and kissed Cloud's forehead slowly, making his lips linger over the bruise. The redhead's fingertips pushed the golden locks from the wet forehead, and he continued to kiss it until Cloud had sunk so far into his embrace he could only reach the top of his head, and even then the blonde spikes began poking him in the eyes. He settled for resting his chin there instead, drawing circles on Cloud's shoulders.

Cloud breathed deeply through his nose, gulping in Reno's scent. He could never describe it, but it was his favourite smell. He loved it, like a baby or a child loved their mother's smell. He squeezed and cuddled Reno tightly, closing his eyes and feeling like he was away from Gaia, somewhere divine.

'Well, Cloud,'

'Hm?'

'I don't … I don't know what love is, really, but … I'm liking this, yo,'

'Love you too,'

**Lee: So ... care to review? Give nice feedback? Gimme some loving? Tell me how much you adore Reno? Because I just love to chat about him. **


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